Some
were heroes on the battlefield.
Some were heroes just to get there.

The first quality of a soldier is
constancy in enduring fatigue & hardship.

Courage is only second.

-Napoleon
Bonaparte

Fairfax
Courthouse, Va.

Little Round Top, Pa.

June 26

July 2

1863 & 2013

1863 & 2013

Latest Updates(5/12/2013)
Look here for late breaking info. This will supercede all other
info on the site.

What is this
about? Media, please read this
carefully.

In June and July of
1863, members of the U.S. Sixth Corps made an epic march from
Virginia to Pennsylvania in defense of their country.

This event is a road
march by a few Civil War reenactors to commemorate this event
by retracing the steps of the U.S. Sixth Corps on their
journey from what is now Ox Hill Battlefield Park, Fairfax, Va. to Little Round Top at Gettysburg, Pa. in the days preceding the Battle of
Gettysburg.

The "Bloody
Sixth" first made a heroic effort to place themselves
between the invading force of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's
Army of Northern Virginia and the cities of Washington and
Baltimore. Once Lee made contact with U.S. Gen. Meade's Army
of the Potomac at Gettysburg, the Sixth Corps again made a
monumental effort to come to the aid of the rest of the Army.
Their arrival at Little Round Top was a critical factor in
ensuring a Federal victory there.

But as the motto
above implies, we seek to honor the "everyday heroics"
that the men of the Sixth displayed, not just what happened
on the battlefield.

We will follow the
original route and progress of the Sixth with the First
Brigade, First Division being our primary guide. Among those
men was my great-great grandfather James Dow.

While we don't expect
anyone to be able to walk every step of every mile of this
effort, the goal will be to maintain a color guard which will
keep the flag moving at the pace of the original troop
movement. Participants may rotate through the color guard and/or
a color company as numbers, strength and stamina allow, on
the model of the Olympic Torch relay. A chase vehicle will
provide logistical support for water and food, as well as
communications.

This will not be an
immersion event that focuses on the experience of the
reenactor with no reminders of the 21st Century. Rather this
is an infusion event, which will inject us into the midst of
the 21st Century and remind us all on whose shoulders we
stand.

Who
may participate?

Any
Civil War reenactor
with a reasonably good Union impression will be
welcome to join us.

A note on
authenticity issues: This isn't about stitch counting, this
is about placing honor where honor is due. Having said that,
be aware that much "sutler row" or inferior grade
equipment does not stand up on the march very well. Cheaper
quality sack coats are made of much heavier material than the
originals and could pose a risk to your health from over
heating. Upgrading to better gear will keep you cooler on the
march and pose fewer problems. Those with better impressions can
expect to be placed front and center on "photo op"
occasions. We do want to put our best foot forward.

The one exception to
period attire for reenactors that I will allow is footwear.
If your feet can not tolerate marching on pavement in period
brogans, black colored footwear will be allowed for those
times we are not "on parade." A short rest stop and
a switch to period foot attire will be required when we
encounter significant public attention. Wearing "gel
pads" inside period footwear is highly encouraged to
avoid injury.
Most of the route is on pavement and we don't want anyone to
kill their feet in this effort.
The heroes are all dead.
We have everything to remember and nothing to prove here.

If you are
not a reenactor
and would like to hike along with us in modern dress,
we will be happy to have you join the rear of our
column, providing we don't over stretch our logistics
capability.

We are designing this effort
for a maximum of about 12 people for most of our route.

Amenities

Food

Soft bread and meat will be
provided daily, based on the marching ration. We will
have some storage for your own foodstuffs, if you wish to
bring them. Other period foodstuffs may be donated or
obtained along the route. Bring cash to purchase
additional items (also a period experience). We will form
our own ad hoc messes to handle cooking duties.

Water

We will supply clean water in
copious amounts at all times. Nobody gets dehydrated on
my watch.

Wood

We will forage wood, as needed.
Experience has shown an ample supply along the route.

Straw

No straw will be provided.
There may be leaves or other natural "nesting"
material available from time to time. Bring a tick to
stuff with material that you scrounge if you want. A good
night's sleep is important.

Registration

If you would be
interested in participating, you can access and print our registration form.
If you would print off and mail in that form, that will
provide us with a hard copy for use during the event. See the
bottom of the form for instructions.

We will have one
vehicle with water near the column at all times, but could
use a lead car at various places, or to run errands. If you
would be willing to volunteer a special skill or talent, or
have a car you'd like to help out with, please let me know.

If you have friends
who might be interested but not online, you can download (772K)
and print (double sided) ourInvitation
Brochure in MS Word
format.

Route and
Timetable of the March for 2013based on a letter of Capt.
Ellis Hamilton, 15th NJ, 1st Brgd, 1st Division, 6th Corps.

Towns and Roads

Date

Mileage

Day of
preparation and rest

Tuesday
June 25

0

Lv. Ox
Hill Battlefield Park at 1:00 A.M, out Rt. 50 to
Chantilly, then up Centreville Rd. through Herndon to
Dranesville Rd.
to Dranesville,Va